Balance territories for college recruiters

A university wants to promote its undergraduate degree programs at high schools in Marion County, Indiana. It enlists a marketing firm that specializes in college recruiting to help it allocate resources toward outreach and enrollment efforts. The firm wants to divide the county into recruitment zones, or territories, to assign to its college recruiters. The territories need to be balanced so each recruiter has a similar workload.

In this tutorial, you'll use ArcGIS Pro with the ArcGIS Business Analyst Pro extension to create balanced territories for the college recruiters. First, you'll design the territories so each has a similar number of high schools and students. You'll also ensure recruiters don't have to cross an interstate highway to visit all of their assigned schools, which might impede their work. The resulting territories will help the university promote itself more effectively and efficiently.

This tutorial was last tested on November 13, 2025, using ArcGIS Pro 3.6. If you're using a different version of ArcGIS Pro, you may encounter different functionality and results.

Requirements

• ArcGIS Pro (see options for software access)
• ArcGIS Business Analyst Pro

Balance territories for college recruiters

Create a territory solution

First, you'll create a territory solution. A territory solution contains all the elements needed to build, edit, and maintain territories. You'll use it to divide Marion County into five recruitment zones, one for each available recruiter.

1. Download the Marion_County_Territories project package.
2. Locate the downloaded project package file on your computer and double-click it to open it in ArcGIS Pro. If prompted, sign in to your ArcGIS account.

   Note:

   If you don't have access to ArcGIS Pro or an ArcGIS organizational account, see options for software access.

   The project contains a map with layers representing public high schools, a major interstate highway, and the county boundary.

   

   The map also contains a layer named Marion County Block Groups. A block group is a geographical unit used by the United States Census Bureau. This layer contains two important attributes:

   • Number of High Schools—The number of high schools in each block group
   • Population Age 14 to 18—The number of high-school-age residents in each block group

   Note:

   Data rarely comes in the exact format that you need. Read the blog articles Data selection and preparation and No data no problem: Leverage Living Atlas, Spatial Joins, and Data Enrichment to create the layer that you need to learn how the data for this tutorial was prepared.

3. On the ribbon, click the Analysis tab. In the Workflows group, click Business Analysis and choose New Territory Design Solution.

   Note:

   If you don't see the Business Analysis button, you may not have the Business Analyst extension enabled. On the ribbon, click Project. Click Licensing and confirm you have Business Analyst licensed. To learn more about this license and how to acquire it, visit the ArcGIS Business Analyst Pro product page.

   

   The Create Territory Solution window appears. To create territories, you need to assign a base layer to act as the foundation of the solution. You'll use the block groups in Marion County as the base.

4. For Input Features, choose Marion County Block Groups.
5. For Territory Solution Name, type Recruiting_Areas.

   

6. Click OK.

   The tool runs and the Recruiting_Areas territory solution appears in the Contents pane. It has Marion County Block Groups as its base layer and empty layers for Territories and Levels.

   

   Levels can be used to create territories within territories. For this workflow, you won't create different levels.

Add variables to the solution

You have five recruiters, so you'll create five territories. To ensure each recruiter has a similar workload, you want each territory to have similar numbers of high schools and people of high school age. You'll add the variables from the census blocks layer that contain the number of high schools and the population age 14 to 18 to the solution so you can compare their values after you create the territories.

1. In the Contents pane, click Recruiting_Areas to select it.
2. On the ribbon, click the Territory Design tab. In the Analysis group, click Add Variables.

   Note:

   The Territory Design tab won't appear unless the Recruiting_Areas territory solution is selected in the Contents pane.

   

   The Add Level Variables window appears. The first three parameters are already populated with information from the Recruiting_Areas territory solution. Because Marion County Block Groups is being used as the base level, you can add variables from it.

3. Under Variables, for Statistic Field, choose Population Age 14 to 18. For Statistic, choose Sum.
4. Click the Add another button.

   

5. For the new variable, for Statistic Field, choose Number of High Schools. For Statistic, choose Sum.

   

6. Click OK.

   Nothing appears to change, but the two variables have been added to the solution. You'll confirm by looking at the attribute table for the territories.

7. In the Contents pane, right-click Territories and choose Attribute Table.

   

   No territories have been created yet, so the attribute table is empty.

8. Scroll to the end of the attribute table.

   Two columns have been added: Population Age 14 to 18 and Number of High Schools.

9. Close the attribute table.

Create territories

Next, you'll create territories for the college recruiters. The process of creating or modifying territories in a territory solution is called solving.

1. On the Territory Design tab, in the Analysis group, click Solve.

   

   The Solve Territories window appears. The first three parameters are already populated. All you'll do before running the tool is set the number of territories. You have five recruiters available, so you'll make five territories.

2. For Number of Territories, type 5.

   

3. Click OK.

   The territories are created and added to the map, though they cover the other layers.

4. In the Contents pane, drag Recruiting_Areas below Marion County Boundary.

   

   Now the other layers are visible.

   

   Note:

   Your territory boundaries and colors may differ from the example images. Territories are created by a nondeterministic algorithm, which randomly locates centers for the territories and draws the boundaries.

   You'll assess whether the territories are well balanced. Although you added the variables for number of high schools and population, you didn't provide any constraints regarding them, so they are likely uneven.

5. On the Territory Design tab, in the Edit Territories group, click Modify Territories.

   

   The Modify Territories pane appears. It displays charts showing the number of each variable in each territory.

   Tip:

   To see the full chart for each variable, you may need to expand the size of the pane by dragging its side.

   

   In the example image (your territories and distribution may vary), one territory has a Population Age 14 to 18 value of about 16,400, while other territories have populations closer to 10,000. Furthermore, one territory contains 12 schools, while another contains only 5.

Balance the territories

Your territories aren't balanced. You want to change them so the recruiters' workloads are distributed more evenly. You'll specify the following criteria so the variables are more balanced between territories:

• Territories must have an even population of high school students (people aged 14 to 18).
• Each territory must contain between 7 and 10 high schools.

First, you'll set the criteria for the Population Age 14 to 18 variable.

1. On the Territory Design tab, in the Analysis group, click Balance Variables.

   

   The Set Balance Variables window appears. This tool sets variables to be used to create balanced territories.

   You'll only add the population variable to the tool. (You'll use a different tool to set specific constraints for the high schools variable.) Because it's the only variable, you'll assign it the maximum weight, which is 100.

2. Under Variable, choose Population Age 14 to 18. For Weight, type 100.

   

3. Click OK.

   The tool runs, although nothing changes on the map. If you want to modify the current territories, you'll need to run the Solve Territories tool again. Before you do that, you'll apply attribute constraints to the number of high schools to ensure each territory has between 7 and 10 schools.

4. On the Territory Design tab, in the Analysis group, click Attribute Constraints.

   

   The Set Territory Attribute Constraints window appears. This tool enables you to set a minimum and maximum value of a variable for each territory.

5. For Variable, choose Number of High Schools.
6. For Minimum, type 7. For Maximum, type 10.

   

7. Click OK.

   The territory attribute constraints are set. Like the balance variable, the constraints will be applied when you solve the territory solution.

Add a barrier

Interstate 65 is a major highway with heavy traffic and frequent maintenance and construction projects. It will be more convenient for the recruiters if they do not have to cross it while traveling within their territories. You'll add Interstate 65 as a barrier for the territories, ensuring no territory crosses it.

There are two options for barriers:

• The Add Impedance Barriers option specifies line or polygon features that territories cannot cross.
• The Add Restricted Areas option specifies areas that cannot be included in any territory.

A highway you don't want territories to cross is an impedance barrier.

1. On the Territory Design tab, in the Analysis group, click the Barriers drop-down arrow and choose Add Impedance Barriers.

   

2. In the Add Territory Barriers window, for Input Barrier Features, choose Interstate 65.

   

3. Click OK.

   The barrier is applied and the Line barriers for Territories layer is added to the Contents pane.

   You're ready to solve the solution again and create territories that comply with your criteria.

4. On the Territory Design tab, in the Analysis group, click Solve.
5. In the Solve Territories window, confirm that Number of Territories is set to 5.
6. Click OK.

   The territories are updated. They no longer cross the highway, except where the highway cuts through block groups themselves.

   

   In the Modify Territories pane, the variable charts are updated.

   

   Note:

   If you closed the Modify Territories pane, you can reopen it to see the charts.

   Every territory has a number of schools between 7 and 10. In the example image, the student population ranges from about 10,000 to 14,900. (Your results may vary.) Though the population is still not exactly even, it is more balanced than before. With the more balanced population and number of schools per territory and no territory crossing the highway, the workload for each recruiter is much more balanced.

Manually edit territories

You can also improve territories by manually editing them. At times, base features (block groups, in this example) may be assigned to a territory that your field knowledge tells you doesn't make sense. By manually editing the territories, you can ensure a specific feature is assigned to a specific territory.

You'll manually edit a territory to include a new block group.

1. On the map, identify a block group that is divided by Interstate 65.

   

   In the example image, the highlighted block group has a significant portion on either side of the highway. Assume, for the purposes of this tutorial, that you know the majority of people in this block group live on one side of the highway—the western side. Despite this, the block group is assigned to the territory on the eastern side of the highway.

   It would make more sense for this block group to be in the western territory, so you'll manually assign it.

2. On the Territory Design tab, in the Active Level group, make sure Active Level is set to Territories.

   

3. In the Edit Territories group, click the Select button.

   

4. On the map, click the block group you want to reassign.

   

   The block group is selected.

   Tip:

   Press the Shift key while clicking to select multiple features.

   The Modify Territories pane shows how the territory the selected block group is currently in would change if it were reassigned.

   

   In the example image, reassigning the selected feature would reduce the population aged 14 to 18 in Territory 4 by 75. The number of high schools would remain the same at 7. Moving this block group to a different territory won't significantly change the workload for the recruiters, so it's okay to move it.

5. In the Modify Territories pane, click the name of the territory you want to assign the selected block group to (in this example, Territory 1).

   

   The selected territory has green text that indicates how it will change when the block group is assigned to it.

6. Click Assign.

   

   The block group is reassigned. On the map, it changes color to match the new territory.

   

7. On the Territory Design tab, in the Edit Territories group, click Clear.

   

   The selection is cleared.

8. Close the Modify Territories pane.

Export the results

You've created five balanced college recruitment territories. Next, you'll export the results to a feature class.

1. On the Territory Design tab, in the Manage group, click Create Feature Classes.

   

   The Create Territory Level Feature Classes window appears. You can export any part of the territory solution as a feature class. You're only interested in exporting the territory boundaries.

2. For Feature Classes, check the box for Territory Boundaries.

   

3. Click OK.

   A layer named Boundaries of Territories is added to the map.

   Tip:

   To export the entire territory solution as a feature class, on the Territory Design tab, in the Share group, click Export Solution.

   To finish the map, you'll label the territories and change their appearance so they blend with the basemap.

4. In the Contents pane, uncheck the Territories layer and both Marion County Block Group layers. If necessary, click the Boundaries of Territories layer to select it.
5. On the ribbon, click the Labeling tab. In the Layer group, click the Label button.

   

6. In the Label Class group, for Field, confirm ID is selected.

   The map is now labeled with the territory numbers, but they are difficult to read.

7. In the Text Symbol group, change the following font options:
   • Change the font to Tahoma.
   • Change the font style to Bold.
   • Change the font size to 18 pt.

   

8. Click the Feature Layer tab. In the Effects group, for Layer Blend, choose Multiply.

   

   You now have a map of territories that you can share with the college recruiters.

   

9. On the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Save Project button.

   

In this tutorial, you used territory design to define college recruitment territories in Marion County, Indiana. You learned how to use balance variables, attribute constraints, and barriers to create balanced territories with boundaries that make sense for the recruiters. These territories can be assigned to individual recruiters in your firm to balance the workload between them fairly. For a more advanced territory design workflow that uses multiple territory levels and additional balance variables, try the tutorial Balance territories for a national census.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.

Acknowledgements

• The Interstate 65 feature class was derived from the Transportation feature layer. Sources: United States Census Bureau.
• The Marion County Block Groups feature class was derived from the U.S. Census Block Groups layer. Sources: United States Census Bureau.
• The Marion County Boundary feature class was derived from the USA Census Counties layer. Sources: United States Census Bureau, Esri.
• The Public High Schools feature class was derived from the Public Schools dataset defined by the Common Core Data (CCD) for the Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data (HIFLD) database. The original dataset has since been deprecated.
• Topographic map sources: Esri, TomTom, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community